James Bowie Kirk and his Horse Bazaar

KIRK’S HORSE BAZAAR
( Source of Image: “The Australasian Sketcher” of 4 September 1875 )

The section of Bourke Street between Elizabeth and Queen Streets in Melbourne was the location of numerous horse related businesses in the 1800s. The ‘Horse Bazaar’ of Messrs. Kirk and Harlin, which started about July 1840 was possibly the first of these. The proprietors were James Bowie Kirk and John Harlin who had been farming at ‘Glenvale’ on the River Plenty.

James Bowie Kirk was born on 15 February 1808 and baptised on 4 March 1808 in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. He was the son of Robert Kirk and Margaret Bowie who were married on 28 November 1803 in Kirkcaldy, Fife. James is thought to have gained experience in farming at Spittal, near Lochgelly, in the Parish of Auchterderran, Fife before coming to Australia in 1839. He probably travelled as a steerage passenger on the “Midlothian” which arrived at Melbourne on 15 June 1839 from Leith, Scotland. Also travelling on this ship was Dr. Farquhar McCrae with his wife and family. On arrival, James acted as station manager for Dr. McCrae prior to going into partnership with John Harlin.

John Harlin was born c1808, a native of Rosevale in the north of Ireland. On 30 July 1838 he married Margaret, eldest daughter of Hugh Seeds of Lisburn, County Antrim, Ireland. They emigrated to Australia soon afterwards and began farming at ‘Glenvale.’ He continued on there even after the opening of the ‘Horse Bazaar’ in Melbourne, though his partnership with Kirk in this business was formally dissolved on 20 May 1842. He still had a continuing partnership with Kirk as Land and Stock Owners which was formally dissolved on 15 December 1847. Harlin was also in partnership with Noel Craven at ‘Glenvale’ for a time, and though Craven took over part of the property, Harlin still farmed at ‘Glenvale’ until his death there on 9 July 1853.

Kirk continued to run the ‘Horse Bazaar’ for some years. He entered into partnership with William Smyth on 6 July 1847 as Livery Stable Keepers, Auctioneers, and Commission Agents, trading as ‘J. B. Kirk & Co.’ but this partnership was dissolved on 5 September 1848. Kirk later the sold to business to W. C. Yuille in 1852 who in turn leased it to George Watson for five years. The business continued to be known as ‘Kirk’s Horse Bazaar’ through numerous changes of ownership until it was eventually demolished in the 1920s. An interesting event took place there in January 1862 following the successful running of the first Melbourne Cup, when a meeting of the Turf Club passed a resolution that it should become an annual race.

In January 1853 James Bowie Kirk sailed for London, England in the “Admiral” in company with Thomas Miller who had accompanied him on his voyage to Australia in 1839. Miller had been a settler at ‘Ringwood’ on the Saltwater River and was making a return visit to his native Scotland. He later came back to Australia and was living at Woodside, Tylden at the time of his death on 10 July 1863.

Following his return to Scotland, Kirk purchased the Over Gogar Estate in the County of Edinburgh in October 1855 for £10,150 and resided there. He died on 30 September 1859 at Transy House, near Dunfermline, Fife and was buried on 7 October 1859 at Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. Two of his brothers, Mowbray Kirk and John Kirk had come to Australia and settled in Victoria where they left a number of descendants.

‘Kirk’s Horse Bazaar’ was located at what is now Hardware Lane, off Bourke Street and is still remembered in the name of ‘Kirks Lane’ leading off Little Bourke Street.—–Contributed by Alexander Romanov-Hughes – PPPG Member No. 52